Adolpii zestermann



(No Model.)

A. ZESTERMANN. SCORING DEVICE FOR GAMES.

No.603,356.' I Patented May3,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOL'PII ZESTERMANN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To CARLFRITZE, or SAME PLACE.

SCORING DEVICE FOR GAMES.

. v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,356, dated May3, 1898.

' Application filed September 20, 1897- Serlal No. 652,340. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLPH ZESTERMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oincinnati, inthe county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Score Devices; andI dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription ofthe invention, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, which form a part of this specification.

p A certain class of devices for keeping scores or records of variousgames, 850., includes a housing or case provided with a pair of parallelshafts or drums, from one of which a strip of paper is uncoiled andwound around the other shaft, the strip being ruled both transverselyand longitudi-.

nally to afford spaces for the players names, the value of each separaterun, and the totals of these runs. The principal objection to suchdevices is the expense incidental to printing and consecutivelynumbering the spaces of these long strips of paper. Again, it is almostimpossible to wind thev strip around the shafts and preserve the ruledspaces in a proper horizontal position to be readily written 011. Theobject of my invention is to overcome these diificulties and affordregular parallel spaces for names and other memoranda no matter howobliquely the paper maybe wound around the shafts. To

accomplish this result, I use plain or unruled paper and apply to thecase a reticulated front that rests flatly against the paper or othermedium on which the score is inscribed. By this simple expedient theinterstices of said front serve as guides to indicate the exact placeswhere the various inscriptions are to be made on the paper, ashereinafter more fully described.

Another feature of my invention consists in applying a flexible rollingscreen to the case, which screen can be drawn up, so as to conceal theentire reticulated front when the device is not in use; but the screencan be readily lowered, so as to expose all or any desired portion ofsaid front, according to the number of players engaged in a game, ashereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the preferredform of my game score device, the flexible screen of the same being socoiled as to expose the entire reticulated front and the position of thewindingshafts, indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionof said device, the screen being so uncoiled as to conceal the lowerportion of said front. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the back of the caseand its immediate attachments, the central portion of said back beingbroken away and the front case removed. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionthrough the (hinge side of the case, the front of the same being thrownwide open. Figs. 5 and 6 show two modifications of the reticulatedfront.

The back A of my device is flat and has hinged to it at one side, as ata, a front B, which is usually a light frame having'a rectangularopening, across which latter is sooured a wire net or grating 0, whoseinterstices are so disposed as to afford a series of oblong spaces D,followed by square spaces written,while the smaller spaces E show wherethe runs are to be recorded. The other long spaces F afford room for thetotals or other memoranda. Furthermore, to facilitate the ready'andcorrect keeping of the score the spaces E are consecutively numbered attop,

as at 1, 2, 3, &c. Again, the first oblong space D for a players nameand the smaller spaces E for recording his runs must be directly in linewith each other across the frame, and this row of spaces D E and all theother rows under it must be parallel with the axes of the winding drumsor shafts.

Rigidly secured to the upper part of the case-front B is a box G, and Gis another similar box fastened to the lower part of said front, theobject of these boxes being to house in the rolls of paper on which thescores are kept.

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Projecting from the back A, as seen in Fig. 3, are bearings II H for ahorizontal drum or shaft 1, having at one end a ratchet J and pawl j,which pawl can be swung aside and rendered inoperative whenever saidshaft is I of this shaft.

M is a strip of plain or unruled paper or other suitable materialcapable of being readily written on, which strip is slightly wider thanthe opening of frame B, but its length is limited only by the capacityof the box G or G. It may be stated, however, that, without making theseboxes so large as to be unsightly, they will hold a paper of sufficientlength to keep scores of all the games of tenpins that can be played ina single alley in three or four weeks. One end of this strip M is firstfastened to the lower shaft L. The strip is then wound around thisshaft, and

after the coil has become as large as the box G will permit the otherend of said strip is carried up and secured to the top roll I, carebeing taken to have the paper bear flatly against the backAof the case,as seen in Fig.2.

N N are bearings secured upon the lower box G for the support of aroller 0, similar to those used with spring window-shades, a flexiblescreen or curtain P being coiled around said roller and having itsexposed end fastened to a lightrod p, the latter being confined to avertical path by guides at n. p are set-screws for retaining this red toany desired adjustment.

Directly under the upper box G a slot Q may be made in the front of thecase to enable the names of competing clubs to be inscribed on thepaper.

b is a staple for the reception of a padlock wherewith the front 13 isfastened to the back A.

To illustrate the use of my score device, let it be'supposed that tenpersons are to indulge in a game wherein ten runs or plays are to bemade. In this event the screen 1 is allowed to remain in its normal orcoiled condition, thereby completely exposing the opening of frame B, asseen in Fig. 1, and permitting the first player to write his name in theupper space D of said frame. The next player then 'writes his name inthe second space D, and so on down until all these spaces are filledeither with the players names or signatures, the latter being preferredfor obvious reasons. As soon as the game is commenced the first playerrecords his first run or point in the upper square E, directly undernumber 1. The second player then records his first run or point directlyunder that of the first player, and so on down to the bottom ofcolumn 1. The second column 2 is then filled up in the same way, and assoon as the players make their last runs the totals are written in thespaces F, and then by including the names of the competing clubs and thedate of the match within the space Q a correct score is afforded of theentire game. The proprietor or keeper of the device must now be calledin to wind up the strip on the shaft I, so as to expose a clean piece ofpaper through the opening of franie B, and if only four players are toparticipate in the next game the screen P is pulled up until it concealsall but four of the spaces D E F and is maintained in place bytightening the screws 19 p. Consequently the paper cannot be written onbelow the fourth set of divisions of the frame B; but when the device isnot in use the screen is pulled up as far as the box G will permit andis then fastened in place, in which position said screen may display anadvertisement on its exposed surface, and thus become a source ofrevenue. Similarly advertisements, &c., may be applied to the frontsides of the boxes G G. After one strip has been utilized the proprietorof the device can unlock the ease, detach the paper coil, and preserveit for future reference, the removal of one strip and the insertion ofanother being the work of but a few minutes. Again, by turning therollers end for end the back or unused side of the strip can be writtenon in the same manner as the front.

I have described the reticulated member of the score device as beingmade of wire, which material is preferred, because it is light and cheapand causes no undue projection in front of the paper, and for thisreason a pen or pencil can be used with the utmost freedom in writing onthe strips; but the necessary spaces may be afforded by a lattice-workof thin metallic strips, as seen at O in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 0, 0 represents a metallic plate that may be substituted for theframe B, holes (Z 6 being punched through this plate to indicate wherethe paper is to be written on, and by nickeling said plate a veryornamental appearance will be imparted to the device. It will thus beseen that the guidiug-spaces'of the front, which enable me to dispensewith ruled or printed paper strips, can be produced in various ways, andfor this reason my invent-ion is not limited to any special size, shape,or number of such spaces, nor to the material that affords them.lVhichever of these expedients may be adopted it is to be understoodthat there must be no glass or other transparent cover in front of thereticulated member 0, as the latter must be exposed as soon as a game iscommenced, in order that the players may insert their pencils directlythrough the guiding-spaces D E F and write the proper inscriptions onthe record-strip M, Finally, I expressly disclaim any and every form ofgame-score device which includes a pair of drums or shafts and a stripof printed or ruled paper to be used with them.

I claim as my invention 1. A game score device including a pair ofhorizontal drums or shafts; a single record;

sheet that is uncoiled from one shaft and wound around the other; and areticulated front behind which said sheet is caused to pass; said frontbeing free from a glass, in order that'a pencil may be inserted directlythrough an opening and inscribe said sheet, in the manner described, andfor the purpose stated.

2. A game score device including the back A, having bearings H, H, K, K,horizontal drums or shafts I, L, journaled in said bearings; a singlerecord-sheet M, coiled around said shafts; a frame B-having a grating Gattached to it; and boxes G, G, secured to this frame and inclosing saiddrums, the frame being free from a glass, in order that a pencil may beinserted directly through an opening and inscribe said sheet, in themanner de-- scribed, and for the purpose stated.

3. In a. gamev score device provided with a reticulated front, a roller0 journaled below said front, a screen Pcoiled around said roller,

a cross-bar 10 secured to the upper margin of AD OLPH ZESTERMANN.

Witnesses! JAMES H. LAYMAN, EARLE B. PASSEL.

